D. von Martius “‘Reise in Brasilien’’ [1831] 1237), who stated 
that the Indians in the Rio Japura (Rio Caqueta) and Rio Negro 
of Colombia and Brazil valued it (Guatteria veneficiorum) for 
this purpose. It has generally been overlooked in the literature, 
although Claude Bernard, in his classic Lecons sur les effets des 
substances toxiques et médicamenteuses (1867) 245 mentioned 
Martius’ report. A recent report by Pinkley (in Schultes, R. E. in 
Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harvard Univ. 22 [1969] 134-136) has placed its 
use amongst the Kofan Indians of the Colombo-Ecuadorian 
border (H. V. Pinkley 558). 
LEGUMINOSAE 
Entada polyphylla Bentham in Hooker, Journ. Bot. 2 (1840) 133. 
COLOMBIA: Comisaria del Amazonas, Tropecio Amazoénico, Rio 
Loretoyacu. Alt. 100 m. September 28, 1946. R. E. Schultes 8400c. 
A warm decoction of the seeds of this species is valued among 
the Tikunas of the Trapecio Amazonico as a gargle in cases of 
extreme nasal and pulmonary congestion as a result of severe 
catarrhal attacks to which they are prone in the cooler and 
wetter parts of the year. 
Monopteryx angustifolia Spruce ex Bentham in Martius, FI. 
Bras. 15, Pt. 1 (1862) 307. 
COLOMBIA: Comisaria del Vaupés, Rio Naquieni, Cerro Monachi. June 1948. 
R. E. Schultes et F. Lopez 10125. 
A bitter tea prepared from the bark of this tree is valued in the 
Rio Guainia basin as a vermifuge. 
Monopteryx Uaucu Spruce ex Bentham in Martius, Fl. Bras. 15, 
Pt. 1. (1862) 308. 
COLOMBIA: Comisaria del Vaupes, Rio Guainia, Cano del Caribe and vicinity. 
November 2, 1952. R. E. Schultes, R. E. D. Baker et I. Cabrera 18270. 
The seeds of Monopteryx Uaucu are very oily but, boiled and 
toasted, they serve the natives of the upper Rio Negro of Brazil 
and the Colombian Vaupés as food. The tree, which is very tall 
with enormous buttress roots, has extremely important 
mythological significance to the Kuripakos of the Rio Guainia. 
115 
